Frequently asked questions
Below is a list of genuine questions either sent to us or regularly asked on the streets.
About us
1) Why do you give up your time to do this?
2) How are you funded?
3) What church denomination are you associated with?
4) I’m interest in setting up Street Chaplains in my town.
How we operate
5) Where do you operate in Dundee?
6) What do you give out?
7) Aren’t you encouraging people to beg by giving them stuff?
8) Isn’t it better to witness to people you have a relationship with and see often?
9) How can someone interested in God follow this up?
10) Do you ‘bible bash’?
11) How do most people respond to you?
12) Do you ever get abuse from people when on the street?
13) Is it safe working at night?
Volunteering
14) Is training provided?
15) Do you supply a uniform and do I have to wear it?
16) How long do street chaplains volunteer for? How often?
17) Do you have to be a Christian to volunteer?
18) I’m a Christian, but do I have to evangelise?
19) Do volunteers often lose motivation?
20) What type of person makes a good street chaplain?
About us
1) Why do you give up your time to do this?
God commands us to go and make disciples of all nations. Therefore, using our time to share the love of Christ that we ourselves have come to know is a small way we can honour God. We want our city to know that God is alive and that He loves them. We can no longer expect young people to come to us to hear this good news. Plus, it’s actually more craic than sitting in the house anyway.
2) How are you funded?
We are funded in different ways. Firstly, by people like you who want to support what we do. By a few churches we work closely with.
Several businesses and organisations in Dundee have sponsored us by providing their services or donating equipment. The Police and the council have provided safety equipment such as radios. Lots of other people simply give their professional time and thus keep costs low.
However, our funding has not expanded to the same extend as our ministry has. If you would like to support us in some way, let us know. You can also make a one-off donation here.
3) What church denomination are you associated with?
We are an inter-denominational organisation. Our volunteers all come from a wide spectrum of Christian fellowships in the city.
However, we are generally asked this question because people want to know what our theology is. You can read the Basis of Faith from the Evangelical Alliance, in which we are affiliated with through DECA (Dundee Evangelical Christian Alliance).
4) I’m interested in setting up Street Chaplains in my town.
Great. Half the battle is done because an outreach team only works if people from the locality have a heart to reach their community. With that being said, the first thing to do is pray about it. If you know God wills it, you will be far more likely to stay committed to it when the inevitable trials come. Next you should seek to get the support of the local churches. Definitely at least one for logistical reasons. However, it is important to not let the outreach become a one-church ministry.
Get in touch with us if your still interested and we can offer advice and support. There is no pressure after just enquiring or in specifically becoming an official 'ROCK Street Chaplains' team. Maybe you’ll discover during the process of enquiring that another form of outreach works better for your community.
But remember you don’t even need to be in a Street Chaplains team to tell your neighbours about Jesus. Just getting involved in your community can create a lot of opportunities to witness. Then if and when you do come to setting up a street chaplains’ team, you’ll be better connected to reach your community.
How we operate
5) Where do you operate in Dundee?
We meet at a church office on Ward Road to prepare and pray. We generally walk in a circuit around the city centre; starting on Ward Road, past Abertay University, Wellgate and the bus station, we then head towards the pubs and clubs on the east of the city, many of which are associated with the LGBT community who largely welcome us. Then we walk towards the city square before walking up Perth Road and to the clubs around Westport. However, it all depends on where our assistance is needed and how long we chat to people for.
6) What do you give out?
Everyone is offered a lolly and a leaflet, that’s what we’re famous for. And yes, people can choose one or other. We give out more substantial Christian material depending on their interest and need.
Practically, depending on stock, we give out flipflops to woman who are uncomfortable in high heels. We give alarms to vulnerable people. We also have thermal blankets, ponchos, anti-spiking bottle stoppers, water, first-aid, etc. We also have information leaflets about local services, such as a list of soup kitchens for the homeless. We help the council distribute Christmas brochures.
For the homeless, we give out tea, coffee, and hot chocolate. Food handouts vary depending on donations. Generally, it’s biscuits, sandwiches, or buns. Our friends at Eagles Wings do a much better job at catering. The same practical supplies mentioned above are also available to the homeless. We don’t give out any toiletries, but are open to the idea.
7) Aren’t you encouraging people to beg by giving them stuff?
We regularly review our outreach strategy to ensure we care for the homeless responsibly. Sometimes we get it wrong, or don’t know what to do and just have to be merciful. However, the vast majority of people who beg don’t do so because they know they’re going to get a hot chocolate or a pair of socks. But what the likes of a hot chocolate does do, is break down barriers and enable us to help them in a beneficial way. Knowing that someone simply cares about you is far more motivating to change than being ignored.
8) Isn’t it better to witness to people you have a relationship with and see often?
Yes. But unfortunately, not everyone has someone witnessing to them every week. Someone hearing or reading the Gospel message once is better than never. We believe that our ministry at the very least causes many people to think about God – maybe for the first time – who would otherwise never have any Christian witness in their daily life. We pray that after our contact, the Holy Spirit would work in their life. There are many great organisations in Dundee that people can then get involve with if they want to know more.
However, there are a lot of people we do have a relationship with and see often, bouncers in particular.
9) How can someone interested in God follow this up?
Several ways. Everyone we speak to is offered a tract and information on how to discover more. Our leaflets now have QR codes to make it easy for people to look up more info on their phones immediately. Some people show us a genuine interest in faith there and then and so we can give them more substantial literature, a CD, or even a Bible if they don’t have one. We have a Dundee Church Guide leaflet. We also occasionally arrange to meet people for a chat on another day.
10) Do you 'bible bash'?
No. We offer everyone a lolly & leaflet. Most people take this and walk on. Some stop and have a general chat with us. A few end up talking about faith with us and we engage in this depending on where they are at mentally, physically, and spiritually.
11) How do most people respond to you?
Responds are always different across the demographics. Hence why we say hello to everyone because we can and should never presume how someone will respond to us.
Those who don’t know about us naturally ask who we are and are generally positive of us when they hear that our work is just as much practical support as it is spiritual. Some people ignore us, but most engage with us in some way. A lot genuinely just don’t want a lolly and/or are needing to get somewhere. But most people have the time and are in the mood to chat.
Often people want to talk about faith without being prompted and it’s always interesting to hear about people’s beliefs. Most people appreciate their beliefs being questioned and discussed because they see people taking an interest in their beliefs, maybe for the first time. And through the trust gained in that dialogue, what we say about our faith can be quite thought-provoking and impactful on them.
However, while these lengths of conversations aren’t with most people, most people are nonetheless polite and appreciate our work. Some even go on to donate to our charity.
12) Do you ever get abuse from people when on the street?
This is surprisingly one of the most common questions and yet the answer seems to surprise people most. We generally find people to be a lot more friendly than we would walking through the city during the day. Most people are in the city centre to socialise and are happy to talk to anyone. Of course, there are some people who just want to argue or mock. Like anywhere, how you approach and talk to someone is key to getting positive responses.
13) Is it safe working at night?
Yes. Our teams have a radio which is connected to all the bouncers and the CCTV control room. Police Scotland have dedicated teams in all sections of the city centre from 10pm until 4am. We always walk about in trained teams. Dundee is not a violent city anyway; it’s friendly. Plus, we have been doing this for 20yrs, so we are widely accepted and recognised, and probably aren’t that big of a deal for most people.
Volunteering
14) Is training provided?
Yes. Depending on numbers, we periodically hold training sessions. Sometimes these over multiple evenings to train our volunteers on the various topics around our responsibilities, personal safety and evangelisation. However, the majority of the training happens on the street.
We invite you to shadow us any night you want to. Your team leader will take good care of you. In the meantime, you will find it useful taking a thorough look through our website and getting a bigger picture of what we are about.
15) Do you supply a uniform and do I have to wear it?
Yes and yes. We will give you a distinguishable red coat with a street chaplains badge on it. Anyone wanting to patrol with us needs to be identifiable to the rest of the team, our partner agencies, and most importantly the clubbers. The coat must be kept in the Street Chaplains office and available for others the next night. You will also be given a bag to be filled with supplies to be given out.
Other than that you can dress how ever you feel comfortable. Dress warm! In the winter a coat under your SC coat is recommended.
16) How long do street chaplains volunteer for? How often?
It varies. Students usually volunteer for the 4yrs they’re studying here. Everyone else varies greatly. We ask volunteers to committee to at least one night a month in order to make training worth-well. We recommend committing to a certain day of the week/month, this way we know when you’ll be here. If volunteers depend on how they feel on the night they tend to slip away. There is no pressure for you to commit if you're just wanting to see what SC is like. I believe almost all Christians should try street evangelism at least once, including local ministers.
17) Do you have to be a Christian to volunteer?
Anyone is welcome to come out with us. We don’t enforce a fixed policy on this, primarily because we have found we don’t need to. Most non-Christians that come, see what our ministry is about and decide it’s not for them. If they do want to join us, we would give them responsibility with a practical task such as manning a hot drinks table. If they are asked about Christianity, we would ask them to let their Christian partner respond.
18) I’m a Christian, but do I have to evangelise?
You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. We won’t be checking how many people you spoke to or what you said, we are just grateful for your time.
However, perhaps consider the purpose of Christian outreach. Serving people in practical ways with a loving heart is great. But the most loving thing we can do for someone is tell them about Christ who can save them, just like He saved us when we asked him after being told the Gospel.
Having said that, you're probably more likely to be asking this question out of fear of not having answers or the confidence. If you feel you don’t have the ‘gift of evangelism’, that’s fine, but all Christians should still seek to share Christ. We don’t expect our volunteers to be theologians, just to be ready to explain the basis of their faith. Listen to how other street chaplains answer and deal with common questions. And don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know”.
19) Do volunteers often lose motivation?
SC is generally something people like and stick at for a while or quickly realise it’s not for them. A lot of new volunteers lose motivation quickly when they become disenfranchised by the immense needs in the city or when it stops feeling rewarding for them. Like all ministries, there is a cross to bear; late nights, being ignored, feeling useless, annoying teammates, or worse. Therefore, we would encourage all keen volunteers to be prayerful about becoming a street chaplain and to examine their motivations. God is the Great Sustainer and if you know him, you too will be sustained in this.
20) What type of person makes a good street chaplain?
Someone who is willing to listen more than talk and who doesn’t want to win arguments, but rather people’s interest in God. Is quite laidback and can get along easily with people. Can deal with a volatile environment and is concerned about people’s wellbeing. Can work as a team. Can offer a unique gift or skill to the team. Knows the city, can give directions and signpost people on to other organisations. Has a passion to care for the vulnerable - New volunteers come with a lot of passion, which is what we want, but it is important to follow the direction of your team leader and not to do something that could harm our reputation. Ultimately, someone who loves God, His Word, and His people.
About us
1) Why do you give up your time to do this?
2) How are you funded?
3) What church denomination are you associated with?
4) I’m interest in setting up Street Chaplains in my town.
How we operate
5) Where do you operate in Dundee?
6) What do you give out?
7) Aren’t you encouraging people to beg by giving them stuff?
8) Isn’t it better to witness to people you have a relationship with and see often?
9) How can someone interested in God follow this up?
10) Do you ‘bible bash’?
11) How do most people respond to you?
12) Do you ever get abuse from people when on the street?
13) Is it safe working at night?
Volunteering
14) Is training provided?
15) Do you supply a uniform and do I have to wear it?
16) How long do street chaplains volunteer for? How often?
17) Do you have to be a Christian to volunteer?
18) I’m a Christian, but do I have to evangelise?
19) Do volunteers often lose motivation?
20) What type of person makes a good street chaplain?
About us
1) Why do you give up your time to do this?
God commands us to go and make disciples of all nations. Therefore, using our time to share the love of Christ that we ourselves have come to know is a small way we can honour God. We want our city to know that God is alive and that He loves them. We can no longer expect young people to come to us to hear this good news. Plus, it’s actually more craic than sitting in the house anyway.
2) How are you funded?
We are funded in different ways. Firstly, by people like you who want to support what we do. By a few churches we work closely with.
Several businesses and organisations in Dundee have sponsored us by providing their services or donating equipment. The Police and the council have provided safety equipment such as radios. Lots of other people simply give their professional time and thus keep costs low.
However, our funding has not expanded to the same extend as our ministry has. If you would like to support us in some way, let us know. You can also make a one-off donation here.
3) What church denomination are you associated with?
We are an inter-denominational organisation. Our volunteers all come from a wide spectrum of Christian fellowships in the city.
However, we are generally asked this question because people want to know what our theology is. You can read the Basis of Faith from the Evangelical Alliance, in which we are affiliated with through DECA (Dundee Evangelical Christian Alliance).
4) I’m interested in setting up Street Chaplains in my town.
Great. Half the battle is done because an outreach team only works if people from the locality have a heart to reach their community. With that being said, the first thing to do is pray about it. If you know God wills it, you will be far more likely to stay committed to it when the inevitable trials come. Next you should seek to get the support of the local churches. Definitely at least one for logistical reasons. However, it is important to not let the outreach become a one-church ministry.
Get in touch with us if your still interested and we can offer advice and support. There is no pressure after just enquiring or in specifically becoming an official 'ROCK Street Chaplains' team. Maybe you’ll discover during the process of enquiring that another form of outreach works better for your community.
But remember you don’t even need to be in a Street Chaplains team to tell your neighbours about Jesus. Just getting involved in your community can create a lot of opportunities to witness. Then if and when you do come to setting up a street chaplains’ team, you’ll be better connected to reach your community.
How we operate
5) Where do you operate in Dundee?
We meet at a church office on Ward Road to prepare and pray. We generally walk in a circuit around the city centre; starting on Ward Road, past Abertay University, Wellgate and the bus station, we then head towards the pubs and clubs on the east of the city, many of which are associated with the LGBT community who largely welcome us. Then we walk towards the city square before walking up Perth Road and to the clubs around Westport. However, it all depends on where our assistance is needed and how long we chat to people for.
6) What do you give out?
Everyone is offered a lolly and a leaflet, that’s what we’re famous for. And yes, people can choose one or other. We give out more substantial Christian material depending on their interest and need.
Practically, depending on stock, we give out flipflops to woman who are uncomfortable in high heels. We give alarms to vulnerable people. We also have thermal blankets, ponchos, anti-spiking bottle stoppers, water, first-aid, etc. We also have information leaflets about local services, such as a list of soup kitchens for the homeless. We help the council distribute Christmas brochures.
For the homeless, we give out tea, coffee, and hot chocolate. Food handouts vary depending on donations. Generally, it’s biscuits, sandwiches, or buns. Our friends at Eagles Wings do a much better job at catering. The same practical supplies mentioned above are also available to the homeless. We don’t give out any toiletries, but are open to the idea.
7) Aren’t you encouraging people to beg by giving them stuff?
We regularly review our outreach strategy to ensure we care for the homeless responsibly. Sometimes we get it wrong, or don’t know what to do and just have to be merciful. However, the vast majority of people who beg don’t do so because they know they’re going to get a hot chocolate or a pair of socks. But what the likes of a hot chocolate does do, is break down barriers and enable us to help them in a beneficial way. Knowing that someone simply cares about you is far more motivating to change than being ignored.
8) Isn’t it better to witness to people you have a relationship with and see often?
Yes. But unfortunately, not everyone has someone witnessing to them every week. Someone hearing or reading the Gospel message once is better than never. We believe that our ministry at the very least causes many people to think about God – maybe for the first time – who would otherwise never have any Christian witness in their daily life. We pray that after our contact, the Holy Spirit would work in their life. There are many great organisations in Dundee that people can then get involve with if they want to know more.
However, there are a lot of people we do have a relationship with and see often, bouncers in particular.
9) How can someone interested in God follow this up?
Several ways. Everyone we speak to is offered a tract and information on how to discover more. Our leaflets now have QR codes to make it easy for people to look up more info on their phones immediately. Some people show us a genuine interest in faith there and then and so we can give them more substantial literature, a CD, or even a Bible if they don’t have one. We have a Dundee Church Guide leaflet. We also occasionally arrange to meet people for a chat on another day.
10) Do you 'bible bash'?
No. We offer everyone a lolly & leaflet. Most people take this and walk on. Some stop and have a general chat with us. A few end up talking about faith with us and we engage in this depending on where they are at mentally, physically, and spiritually.
11) How do most people respond to you?
Responds are always different across the demographics. Hence why we say hello to everyone because we can and should never presume how someone will respond to us.
Those who don’t know about us naturally ask who we are and are generally positive of us when they hear that our work is just as much practical support as it is spiritual. Some people ignore us, but most engage with us in some way. A lot genuinely just don’t want a lolly and/or are needing to get somewhere. But most people have the time and are in the mood to chat.
Often people want to talk about faith without being prompted and it’s always interesting to hear about people’s beliefs. Most people appreciate their beliefs being questioned and discussed because they see people taking an interest in their beliefs, maybe for the first time. And through the trust gained in that dialogue, what we say about our faith can be quite thought-provoking and impactful on them.
However, while these lengths of conversations aren’t with most people, most people are nonetheless polite and appreciate our work. Some even go on to donate to our charity.
12) Do you ever get abuse from people when on the street?
This is surprisingly one of the most common questions and yet the answer seems to surprise people most. We generally find people to be a lot more friendly than we would walking through the city during the day. Most people are in the city centre to socialise and are happy to talk to anyone. Of course, there are some people who just want to argue or mock. Like anywhere, how you approach and talk to someone is key to getting positive responses.
13) Is it safe working at night?
Yes. Our teams have a radio which is connected to all the bouncers and the CCTV control room. Police Scotland have dedicated teams in all sections of the city centre from 10pm until 4am. We always walk about in trained teams. Dundee is not a violent city anyway; it’s friendly. Plus, we have been doing this for 20yrs, so we are widely accepted and recognised, and probably aren’t that big of a deal for most people.
Volunteering
14) Is training provided?
Yes. Depending on numbers, we periodically hold training sessions. Sometimes these over multiple evenings to train our volunteers on the various topics around our responsibilities, personal safety and evangelisation. However, the majority of the training happens on the street.
We invite you to shadow us any night you want to. Your team leader will take good care of you. In the meantime, you will find it useful taking a thorough look through our website and getting a bigger picture of what we are about.
15) Do you supply a uniform and do I have to wear it?
Yes and yes. We will give you a distinguishable red coat with a street chaplains badge on it. Anyone wanting to patrol with us needs to be identifiable to the rest of the team, our partner agencies, and most importantly the clubbers. The coat must be kept in the Street Chaplains office and available for others the next night. You will also be given a bag to be filled with supplies to be given out.
Other than that you can dress how ever you feel comfortable. Dress warm! In the winter a coat under your SC coat is recommended.
16) How long do street chaplains volunteer for? How often?
It varies. Students usually volunteer for the 4yrs they’re studying here. Everyone else varies greatly. We ask volunteers to committee to at least one night a month in order to make training worth-well. We recommend committing to a certain day of the week/month, this way we know when you’ll be here. If volunteers depend on how they feel on the night they tend to slip away. There is no pressure for you to commit if you're just wanting to see what SC is like. I believe almost all Christians should try street evangelism at least once, including local ministers.
17) Do you have to be a Christian to volunteer?
Anyone is welcome to come out with us. We don’t enforce a fixed policy on this, primarily because we have found we don’t need to. Most non-Christians that come, see what our ministry is about and decide it’s not for them. If they do want to join us, we would give them responsibility with a practical task such as manning a hot drinks table. If they are asked about Christianity, we would ask them to let their Christian partner respond.
18) I’m a Christian, but do I have to evangelise?
You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. We won’t be checking how many people you spoke to or what you said, we are just grateful for your time.
However, perhaps consider the purpose of Christian outreach. Serving people in practical ways with a loving heart is great. But the most loving thing we can do for someone is tell them about Christ who can save them, just like He saved us when we asked him after being told the Gospel.
Having said that, you're probably more likely to be asking this question out of fear of not having answers or the confidence. If you feel you don’t have the ‘gift of evangelism’, that’s fine, but all Christians should still seek to share Christ. We don’t expect our volunteers to be theologians, just to be ready to explain the basis of their faith. Listen to how other street chaplains answer and deal with common questions. And don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know”.
19) Do volunteers often lose motivation?
SC is generally something people like and stick at for a while or quickly realise it’s not for them. A lot of new volunteers lose motivation quickly when they become disenfranchised by the immense needs in the city or when it stops feeling rewarding for them. Like all ministries, there is a cross to bear; late nights, being ignored, feeling useless, annoying teammates, or worse. Therefore, we would encourage all keen volunteers to be prayerful about becoming a street chaplain and to examine their motivations. God is the Great Sustainer and if you know him, you too will be sustained in this.
20) What type of person makes a good street chaplain?
Someone who is willing to listen more than talk and who doesn’t want to win arguments, but rather people’s interest in God. Is quite laidback and can get along easily with people. Can deal with a volatile environment and is concerned about people’s wellbeing. Can work as a team. Can offer a unique gift or skill to the team. Knows the city, can give directions and signpost people on to other organisations. Has a passion to care for the vulnerable - New volunteers come with a lot of passion, which is what we want, but it is important to follow the direction of your team leader and not to do something that could harm our reputation. Ultimately, someone who loves God, His Word, and His people.
If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. You can ask in the public comment section below or private message us.